Nucleus Basalis of Meynert Cholinergic Neurons in Alzheimer's Disease

CYCS — Cytochrome c

Introduction

Nucleus Basalis Of Meynert Cholinergic Neurons In Alzheimer'S Disease is an important cell type in the neurobiology of neurodegenerative diseases. This page provides detailed information about its structure, function, and role in disease processes.

<div class="infobox infobox-gene"> [@green1999]
<table> [@riedl2005]
<tr><th colspan="2" style="background:#e8f4f8; text-align:center; font-size:1.1em;">Cytochrome c</th></tr>
<tr><td><strong>Gene Symbol</strong></td><td>CYCS</td></tr>
<tr><td><strong>Full Name</strong></td><td>Cytochrome c</td></tr>
<tr><td><strong>Chromosome</strong></td><td>7p15.3</td></tr>
<tr><td><strong>NCBI Gene ID</strong></td><td>[54205](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/54205)</td></tr>
<tr><td><strong>OMIM</strong></td><td>123970</td></tr>
<tr><td><strong>Ensembl ID</strong></td><td>ENSG00000172115</td></tr>
<tr><td><strong>UniProt ID</strong></td><td>[P99999](https://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/P99999)</td></tr>
<tr><td><strong>Associated Diseases</strong></td><td>Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, Stroke, Cancer</td></tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Cell Ontology ID</td>
<td>[CL:0000108](https://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/CL_0000108), [CL:2000056](https://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/CL_2000056)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Cell Ontology ID</td>
<td>[CL:0000108](https://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/CL_0000108), [CL:2000056](https://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/CL_2000056)</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>

Overview

...

CYCS — Cytochrome c

Introduction

Nucleus Basalis Of Meynert Cholinergic Neurons In Alzheimer'S Disease is an important cell type in the neurobiology of neurodegenerative diseases. This page provides detailed information about its structure, function, and role in disease processes.

<div class="infobox infobox-gene"> [@green1999]
<table> [@riedl2005]
<tr><th colspan="2" style="background:#e8f4f8; text-align:center; font-size:1.1em;">Cytochrome c</th></tr>
<tr><td><strong>Gene Symbol</strong></td><td>CYCS</td></tr>
<tr><td><strong>Full Name</strong></td><td>Cytochrome c</td></tr>
<tr><td><strong>Chromosome</strong></td><td>7p15.3</td></tr>
<tr><td><strong>NCBI Gene ID</strong></td><td>[54205](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/54205)</td></tr>
<tr><td><strong>OMIM</strong></td><td>123970</td></tr>
<tr><td><strong>Ensembl ID</strong></td><td>ENSG00000172115</td></tr>
<tr><td><strong>UniProt ID</strong></td><td>[P99999](https://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/P99999)</td></tr>
<tr><td><strong>Associated Diseases</strong></td><td>Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, Stroke, Cancer</td></tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Cell Ontology ID</td>
<td>[CL:0000108](https://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/CL_0000108), [CL:2000056](https://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/CL_2000056)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Cell Ontology ID</td>
<td>[CL:0000108](https://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/CL_0000108), [CL:2000056](https://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/CL_2000056)</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>

Overview

CYCS (Cytochrome c) is a small heme protein located in the mitochondrial intermembrane space where it plays a central role in electron transport and apoptosis. During apoptosis, cytochrome c is released from mitochondria into the cytosol where it forms the apoptosome with Apaf-1 and procaspase-9, triggering the caspase cascade. Cytochrome c release is regulated by pro- and anti-apoptotic BCL2 family proteins, making it a critical checkpoint in the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. In neurodegenerative diseases, excessive cytochrome c release contributes to neuronal death.

<!-- taxonomy-enrichment -->

<!-- multi-taxonomy-enrichment -->

Multi-Taxonomy Classification

Taxonomy Database Cross-References

| Taxonomy | ID | Name / Label |
|----------|----|---------------|
| Cell Ontology (CL) | [CL:0000108](https://www.ebi.ac.uk/ols4/ontologies/cl/classes/http%253A%252F%252Fpurl.obolibrary.org%252Fobo%252FCL_0000108) | cholinergic neuron |

Morphology & Electrophysiology

• Morphology: cholinergic neuron (source: Cell Ontology)
• Morphology can be inferred from Cell Ontology classification

PanglaoDB Marker Cross-References

• Unknown (PanglaoDB):

External Database Links

• [Cell Ontology (CL:0000108)](https://www.ebi.ac.uk/ols4/ontologies/cl/classes/http%253A%252F%252Fpurl.obolibrary.org%252Fobo%252FCL_0000108)
• [OBO Foundry (CL:0000108)](http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/CL_0000108)
• [Allen Brain Cell Atlas](https://portal.brain-map.org/atlases-and-data/bkp/abc-atlas)
• [CellxGene Census](https://cellxgene.cziscience.com/)
• [Human Cell Atlas](https://www.humancellatlas.org/)
• [PanglaoDB](https://panglaodb.se/)

Taxonomy & Classification

| Database | ID | Name | Confidence |
|----------|----|------|------------|
| Cell Ontology | [CL:0000108](https://www.ebi.ac.uk/ols4/ontologies/cl/classes/http%253A%252F%252Fpurl.obolibrary.org%252Fobo%252FCL_0000108) | cholinergic neuron | Medium |
| Cell Ontology | [CL:2000056](https://www.ebi.ac.uk/ols4/ontologies/cl/classes/http%253A%252F%252Fpurl.obolibrary.org%252Fobo%252FCL_2000056) | Meynert cell | Medium |

PanglaoDB Marker Cross-References

• Unknown (PanglaoDB):

External Database Links

• [Cell Ontology (CL:0000108)](https://www.ebi.ac.uk/ols4/ontologies/cl/classes/http%253A%252F%252Fpurl.obolibrary.org%252Fobo%252FCL_0000108)
• [OBO Foundry (CL:0000108)](http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/CL_0000108)
• [Allen Brain Cell Atlas](https://portal.brain-map.org/atlases-and-data/bkp/abc-atlas)
• [CellxGene Census](https://cellxgene.cziscience.com/)
• [PanglaoDB](https://panglaodb.se/)

Function

Cytochrome c (CYCS) is a small heme protein located in the mitochondrial intermembrane space that plays a central role in both cellular respiration and apoptosis. In the electron transport chain, cytochrome c functions as an electron carrier between Complex III and Complex IV. During apoptosis, cytochrome c is released from mitochondria into the cytosol following mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization (MOMP), where it binds to APAF1 and facilitates apoptosome formation.

The release of cytochrome c is a critical step in the intrinsic (mitochondrial) apoptosis pathway. Once in the cytosol, cytochrome c binds to Apoptotic Protease Activating Factor 1 (APAF1) in a dATP/ATP-dependent manner, triggering oligomerization of the APAF1-cytochrome c complex to form the apoptosome. This heptameric complex recruits and activates procaspase-9, initiating the caspase cascade that leads to programmed cell death.

Expression

Cytochrome c is ubiquitously expressed in all aerobic cells, with highest levels in tissues with high metabolic rates including brain, heart, liver, and kidney. In neurons, cytochrome c is essential for mitochondrial function and neuronal survival. Its release is tightly regulated by anti-apoptotic BCL2 family proteins.

Disease Associations

| Disease | Variants | Inheritance | Mechanism |
|---------|----------|-------------|-----------|
| Alzheimer's Disease | Altered release | Acquired | Excessive cytochrome c release triggers neuronal apoptosis |
| Parkinson's Disease | Altered release | Acquired | Dopaminergic neuron vulnerability to cytochrome c-mediated apoptosis |
| Stroke/Ischemia | Release increased | Acquired | Excitotoxic injury triggers mitochondrial cytochrome c release |
| Cancer | Dysregulated | Somatic | Alterations in cytochrome c release affect apoptosis sensitivity |

Therapeutic Implications

• Targeting cytochrome c release for cancer therapy
• Inhibitors of cytochrome c release being developed for neuroprotection
• Understanding cytochrome c dynamics may lead to stroke treatments

Key Publications

[9811830](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9811830/): Cytochrome c release in apoptosis. Cell, 1998.

[10625665](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10625665/): Cytochrome c in neurodegeneration. Nat Med, 1999.

[15845847](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15845847/): Apoptosome and cytochrome c. Neuron, 2005.

See Also

• [APAF1
• [CASP9](/genes/casp9)
• [CASP3](/genes/casp3)
• [BCL2](/genes/bcl2l11)
• [Apoptosis Pathways](/mechanisms/apaf1](/content/mechanisms)

--casp9
--casp3
--bcl2
--apoptosis-pathways)

• [Alzheimer's Disease](/diseases/alzheimers-disease)

Background

The study of Nucleus Basalis Of Meynert Cholinergic Neurons In Alzheimer'S Disease has evolved significantly over the past decades. Research in this area has revealed important insights into the underlying mechanisms of neurodegeneration and continues to drive therapeutic development.

Historical context and key discoveries in this field have shaped our current understanding and will continue to guide future research directions.

External Links

• [PubMed](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/) - Biomedical literature
• [Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative](https://adni.loni.usc.edu/) - Research data
• [Allen Brain Atlas](https://brain-map.org/) - Brain gene expression data

Pathway Diagram

The following diagram shows the key molecular relationships involving Nucleus Basalis of Meynert Cholinergic Neurons in Alzheimer's Disease discovered through SciDEX knowledge graph analysis: